


Luctor et Emergo

by Tired_College_Student_Writing



Series: The Many Misconceptions about Malcolm Bright [2]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Gen, Malcolm Bright is a Big Brother, Malcolm Bright is a Mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:28:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22355659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tired_College_Student_Writing/pseuds/Tired_College_Student_Writing
Summary: Malcolm Bright is a mess of a man.Malcolm Bright can barely take care of himself.Malcolm Bright would rather die than miss a murder scene.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Original Character(s)
Series: The Many Misconceptions about Malcolm Bright [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609252
Comments: 8
Kudos: 161





	Luctor et Emergo

After the third time, Malcolm’s phone went to voicemail Gil was closing in on frantic. He had basically been begging to work on a case for the last week, but now wouldn’t pick up his phone for a triple homicide? Something was up and he could see through how his team kept looking back at him that they were confused too. 

They were almost wrapping up at the scene and yet their profiler was nowhere to be seen. Even Edrisa looked a little lost when he didn’t bound up behind her throughout the examination of their latest Vics, three girls in their late 20s with gunshot wounds to the head, positioned like they were just sleeping in the middle of the alleyway, complete with a pillow and blanket each. It was the kind of scene Malcolm would have been bouncing over, words tumbling over each other as his mouth struggled to keep up with his thoughts. 

But he wasn’t there, and Gil knew that he wasn’t the only one scared by this idea. 

* * *

“BS,” A sickly thin boy screeched as he glared at the blonde girl next to him, “Flip them,” 

“Read them and weep, Tay,” She laughed as she flipped the top five cards revealing them all to be Kings. 

The boy, Tay, groaned but grabbed the cards nonetheless. 

“Well,” Malcolm hummed from where he sat cross-legged on the ground with his back to the door, “Kam is out first. Shall we keep going or move on to Crazy Eights?”

“We could play Egyptian rat screw,” The familiar blond-haired boy offered only for Malcolm to reach out and ruffled his hair.

“You know the rules, no contact games.” 

The girl next to Isaac snorted, elbowing him lightly, “Keep trying Güero, I’m sure you’ll slip something by Jefe sooner or later. I vote we keep going” 

The other four preteens around the circle agreed as Isaac pouted but laid down what he claimed to be two aces. 

Gil can openly admit that this was not the scene he was expecting when the ‘Find My Phone’ app had told him Malcolm was at a psychiatric hospital. From the corner of his eye, he could tell that Dani and JT hadn’t been expecting it either. 

The girl that had won glanced up, her pale blonde eyebrows cocked upwards, “What’s the fuzz doing here?” 

Malcolm’s head snapped around, grinning up at them. 

“Oh hello,” He greeted, before turning back to the stack, “three twos,” 

“You’re Bright’s coworkers,” Isaac commented lightly, before he glared at the pile, “Also that’s BS. Take the cards.” 

Malcolm groaned dramatically making the children around him laugh. 

  
  


“These are the friends you’ve told us stories about?” Tay asked, his cheeky grin putting dimples in his ashy cheeks, “I thought they’d look cooler with how much you talked about them.” 

“Yeah,” The blonde girl teased as Malcolm’s ears burned bright pink, “They don’t really look-” 

“Hey,” Malcolm cut in, “I told you guys about them in confidence!” 

The kids started giggling again. 

“Come on Jefe, you know we love you,” 

“Your teasing is unneeded and unwelcomed, Gracia.” 

“Sure, Jefe, whatever you say.” 

Dani was smirking now, “Well I can say I honestly have no idea what’s happening, but if you have dirt on Bright, I definitely can’t wait to get to know you guys,”

“Ohh,” The blonde girl grinned, “I’m a fan of this one,” 

Malcolm dropped his face in his hands groaning, “Oh course you do,” 

“Don’t worry, Bright, you're still Kam’s favorite,” Isaac mocked. 

“Damn right he is, where else am I going to find a pretty rich boy to hang out with us?” She laughed making the kids cackle again as Malcolm just glared at all of them. 

“You all suck,” He groused, “Except for Terry” 

The buff African American preteen grinned, pumping his fist in the air.

Gracia nodded solemnly, “Entirely fair, Terry is an angel.” 

Gil’s lips twitched up into a smile, “How about you introduce us Bright,” 

The profiler tries his best to look put out, but his eyes are brimming with fondest as he introduces the team to the group of children. 

They already knew Isaac from when the young boy had murdered his father, but this boy looked happier than he had when they met him, held himself more surely, around him were five preteens, Kamila, the blonde girl with delicate features, Gracia, the Latina with a wide gap-tooth grin, Taylor, the much too skinny Asian boy who trembled with energy, Terry, the mute African American boy with welcoming eyes, Abeer, the middle eastern girl whose bright yellow hijab seemed to match her personality, and Iqran, the Indian boy who seemed to calm the others with a look.

All of the children already knew all of them, fairly well actually. 

Because Malcolm came to visit the kids once a week with stories of his week. 

Because he spoke of them so often that the kids could recount things about each of them with unnerving accuracy. 

The kids were all very attached to Bright as well it seemed. Isaac and Abeer were leaning on him even as the game came to a close as all of the preteens seemed more interested in interrogating the police officers for funny details about the profiler, which they gave up willingly, though more family-friendly in certain points. JT and Dani taking glee in flush overtaking Bright’s face and neck. Kam and Gracia sassing the man as he tried to stop his coworkers from spilling too many details. Taylor and Iqran had taken flicking their cards at him only for the profiler to retaliate, Terry on his side, it seemed the only thing keeping the four from waging a full-on card war was the nurse seated in the corner glancing at them from over her book. 

A beeping jerked all of them out of Dani telling the group how her night taking care of an accidentally drugged Bright had gone, with the man being so red he didn’t complain when a laughing Isaac tumbled into his lap because the profiler was to busy burying his head in the boy's shoulder.

Gil pulled his phone from his jacket, “Edrisa finished her autopsies for our latest vics.” 

“There’s a case?” Malcolm asked, perking up causing JT to roll his eyes.

“No,” The older man huffed, “We tracked you down when you didn’t answer your phone because we wanted to go play basketball,” 

The sarcasm didn’t stop the smile from spreading Bright’s lips, “Sorry I turn it off when I come for my visits. We can head out soon and I’ll be happy to form a profile,” 

“Soon?” Tay asked, eyebrows furrowing, “What’s the holdup?”

Iqran gave him a pointed look, “Gee I wonder what Mal makes sure to do each time he visits?”

Malcolm rolled his eyes, “I’ll leave after lunch.” 

“You have work,” Tay protested, “That’s more important than eating with me.” 

“Kid,” Gil cut in, “If you can guarantee Bright comes in with a full stomach, I will be willing to wait all day.” 

Bright gave a sheepish smile but Tay seemed appeased. 

Malcolm led the pack of kids out of the room a few minutes later as the cops head out, with a promise that they would have their profiler back in an hour and a half.

“Wait,” 

The cops turned back to see Abeer and Terry standing at the door.

“What’s up kids,” Gil asked, “I thought you headed to lunch.” 

“We just wanted to thank you,” She said as Terry nodded, “Mal seems like he’s really sad most of the time, but his eyes get lighter when he talks about all of you. It makes the floor feel like we aren’t too broken when we see that he has friends and family that still love him.” 

She took off before Gil’s heart could finish shattering in his chest. 

Terry hesitates before handing a piece of paper to Gil and followed the smaller girl out of the room. 

Unfolding it neat crayon letters stares back at him 

**_Thank you for keeping our big brother save, please make sure he can keep coming back to us_ **

Dani and JT were peering at the note over his shoulder, could see the tears glistening in Dani's eyes, the shake in JT's hands, knowing that the scene had thrown them more then it had thrown himself. 

After all, he was used to damaged children not knowing if they'll ever be okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> Luctor et Emergo- I struggle and overcome


End file.
